Water-walking apparatus

ABSTRACT

Water-walking apparatus including a pair of buoyant shoes for attachment to a user&#39;&#39;s feet so as to enable him to propel himself over water. The shoes have a plurality of flexible flippers attached to the bottom thereof and include a simplified means for securing the shoes together for use as a single unit. Collapsible seat means are also provided for enabling the user to rest thereupon when the shoes are secured together.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Bennie R. F alrchlld I 2695 Compton Heights Drive, For-tuna,

Calif. 95540 [21] App]. No. 837,092 [22] Filed June 27, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 31, 1971 [54] WATER-WALKING APPARATUS 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 9/310 D [51] Int. Cl v A636 15/00 [50] Field of Search 9/310,7;

[56] Relerences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,264,523 4/1918 Jelalian 9/310 1,413,602 4/1922 Michalski 9/310 1,693,867 12/1928 Reinwald 9/310 1,719,059 7/1929 Krupka et al. 9/310 2,577,917 12/1951 Root 9/310 FORElGN PATENTS 115,699 1/1930 Austria 9/310 736,381 6/1966 Canada 9/310 65,496 10/1955 France 9/310 1,279,677 11/1961 France 9/310 Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant ExaminerPaul E. Sauberer Attorneyl ,owhurst & l-lamrick PATENTEU Aussl 1911 3601.828

I lk WI 52 INVENTOR BENNIE R. FAIRCHILD BY WM WATER-WALKING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved water-walking'apparatus for enabling a person to propel himself over water while in a standing position. The novel device also includes a seat means upon which the user may rest. Many attempts have been made to provide a suitable pair of shoes for enabling a person to walk over the surface of water. Disclosures of such apparatus may be found in the U.S. Pat. Nos. to Rohrmann et al. 1,834,424, Wheat 3,084,356, Carlton 3,112,504, Stimm 3,l34,l l4 and Chymbur 3,284,824. Although the prior art forms of water shoes have taken many forms, most have involved rather elaborate structures which are either impractical or prohibitively expensive to manufacture.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION T It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel water-walking apparatus comprising a pair of buoyant supporting shoes having resilient apparatus means which may be utilized by a person to propel himself over water by executing simple walking movements with his feet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pair of water shoes including novel resilient flippers which permit the user to ambulate freely in any forward direction.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel water-walking apparatus including a pair of buoyant shoes and an integral collapsible seat means which may be folded into the upper surface of one of the shoes when not in use.

SUMMARYOF THE PRESENT INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a novel waterwalking apparatus is provided which includes a pair of buoyant shoes each having a plurality of flexible flippers affixed to the bottom thereof for enabling forward motion to be accomplished by a mere shuffling of the users feet. A simplifled means of attaching the two shoes together is also included, and one of the shoes includes a collapsible seat which may be unfolded to allow the user to rest thereupon when the two shoes are secured together.

IN THE DRAWING FIG. I is a plan view showing the tops of a water-walking apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a water-walking apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective showing the seat apparatus of the present invention in its folded out position.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross section taken along the lines 44 of the seat illustrated in FIG. 3. I

FIG. 5 illustrates the construction of a flipper device in accordance with the present invention as viewed from the bottom of the water-walking apparatus. I

FIG. 6 is a partial rear end view of the water-walking apparatus showing a flipper device in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION In FIG. 1 of the drawing, a pair of water walkers in accordance with the present invention are illustrated as viewed from the top. The shoes 10 and I2 include tapered fore and aft ends 14 and 16 respectively and are generally rectangular in configuration. The respective shoes are in a preferred configuration fonned of plywood covered with fiber glass, or may be formed of styrafoam covered with fiber glass, or may take any other suitable structural fonn. Mounted within recesses in the upper surfaces of the shoes 10 and 12 are a pair of boots 18 for receiving the feet of the user. Also recessed within the upper surface of the shoe 10 is a collapsible seat means 20 which may be unfolded to provide a seat upon which the user may rest whenthe shoes 10 and 12 are locked together.

In order to lock the shoes 10 and 12 together in side-by-side relationship, a latching means 22 isprovidedin the shoe 12 which includes a pair of hook latches '24 and 26 which are pivotably mounted to rotate about points 28 and '30 respectively, within recesses 32 and 34 in the'side of the shoe I2. Connected to the approximate midpoints of the latches 24 and 26 are a pair of connecting rods 36 and 38'respectively, the other ends of which are connected to a crankshaft 40 having a handle 42 which extends above the upper surface of the shoe 12. The shoe 10 also includes a pair of recesses 44 and 46 which coincide with the recesses 32 and34 of shoe l2, and include keepers 48 and 50 which may be engaged by the latches 24 and 26 respectively when the shoes 10 and 12 are aligned in side-by-side abutting relationship.

The latching operation is accomplished by placing the shoes.

10 and 12 together, and then turning the handle 42 in the clockwise direction. This causes the latches 24 and 26 to pivot about their pivot points 28 and 30 respectively, and engage the keepers 48 and 50 to secure the shoes together. In order to ensure that the latches do not unintentionally release the shoe 10 a detent-type locking means or the like, may be provided in the handle 42. 1

Attached to the bottom of each shoe are three flexible flippers 52, the construction of which is more clearly shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. 'lnuse the flippers 52 will be collapsed to the position shown by the dashed lines 54 (in FIGS. 1 and 6) as the user pushes that foot forward. However, upon termination of the forward movement the resilient character of the flippers 52 .causes them to assume their normal open position so that any tendency of the shoe to be moved in the reverse direction will be met with resistance as the flippers 52 provide a scooping action in the water beneath the shoe. Thus, one can easily propel himself in the forward direction by merely shuffling his feet on the surface of the water. One important advantage of this type of flipper is that it provides no material resistance to turning so that the user can easily navigate in any forward direction without resistance.

Should the user desire to rest, he may latch the shoes 10 and 12 together and unfold the seat 20 into the position shown in FIG. 3. The seat 20 is comprised of a base 56 which is hinged at 58 so as to enable it to be folded out of the recess 60 and onto the upper surface'of the shoes 10 and 12 so that one-half of the surface area thereof bears on either shoe. Y

Pivotally attached to another side of the base 56 by a hinge means 60 is a seat support member 62 which is initially folded and received within the recess 64 in the upper surface of the shoe 12 but mayf be pivoted into the upright position indicated after thebase 56 is folded into its illustrated position. Pivotally attached to the upper end of the support member 62 are a pair of seat flaps 66Iand 68 which may be folded into the position illustrated to form the seat 20. When the seat 20 is in its collapsed position; the seat flaps 66 and 68are in the position in-' dicated by the dashed lines in FIG. 4 so as to be received in a recess 70 in theupper surface of shoe 12 (see FIG. 1). After the base 56 and support 62 are rotated out of the recesses, however, the seat flaps 66 and 68 may be unfolded into their horizontal position to form the seat 20. it

As illustrated. in FIG. 4, the seat flaps 66 and 68 are mounted to the vertical support member 62 by a pair of hinges 72 and 74 which terminate the pivotal movement as the seat flaps assume the horizontal position. The hinges 72 and 74 are bolted together through a recessed portion of the support 62 and the upper surface 76 thereof extends beyond the hinge pivot points so as to be engaged by the flaps 66 and 68 when folded into their horizontal position and provide further support thereto. In order to lock the seat 20 in its upright position, a pivotable snap latch 78, or the like, may be provided to engage a pin on the side of the support member 62 opposite the pivot 60.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawing, the manner of construction of the flippers 52 is illustrated in detail. The flippers are made from rectangular sections of flexible material 80 which are cut to size and are thenformed into the desired fin configuration by stapling one half of the edgeat 82 and then rotating the other half of that edge into edgewise engagement therewith and stapling that edge at 84 to provide a conically shaped configuration. The flexible member is then further stapled to the underside of the shoe on either side as indicated at 86 and 88 to form the completed flipper. A rear view of the installed flipper 52 is illustrated in FIG. 6 in the expanded position. The collapsed position is likewise illustrated by the dash lines 54.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, a novel water-walking apparatus has been provided which can be fabricated out of simple materials so as to provide an inexpensive, uncomplicated, functional water-walking apparatus. After having read the foregoing descriptiomit is contemplated that many modifications and alterations of the invention will become apparent to those of skill in the art. I, therefore, intend that the appended claims be interpreted as covering all modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What is claimed is: I

l. A water-walking apparatus, comprising:

first and second elongated float members each having a means on the upper side thereof for receiving a foot of a user;

flexible flipper means affixed to the bottom side of each of said float members;

a pair of pivotable latches mounted in spaced-apart relationship along one side of said first float member;

keeper means disposed along the side of said second float member facing said first float member and in registry with said latching means; and

actuating means operatively coupled to said latches and operative to rotate said latches into locking engagement with said keeper means thereby fastening said float members together.

2. A water-walking apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said float members includes a collapsible seat means mounted to the upper side thereof, said seat means including, a base member pivotally mounted to said upper side and rotatable from a first position to a second position parallel with said upper side, a seat support member having one end pivotally attached to said base member and rotatable from a collapsed position generally coplanar with said base member to an erect position substantially normal thereto, and a pair of seat flaps pivotally attached to the other end of said support member, said seat flaps being foldable from positions generally coplanar with said support member to positions nor mal thereto to provide a seat upon which said user may rest.

3. A water-walking apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said base member is positioned on said one float member so that when rotated into said second position and when said support member is rotated into said erect position, said support member bears substantially equally upon both of said float members.

4. A water-walking apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said upper side includes a recess for receiving said seat means as it is collapsed. 

1. A water-walking apparatus, comprising: first and second elongated float members each having a means on the upper side thereof for receiving a foot of a user; flexible flipper means affixed to the bottom side of each of said float members; a pair of pivotable latches mounted in spaced-apart relationship along one side of said first float member; keeper means disposed along the side of said second float member facing said first float member and in registry with said latching means; and actuating means operatively coupled to said latches and operative to rotate said latches into locking engagement with said keeper means thereby fastening said float members together.
 2. A water-walking apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said float members includes a collapsible seat means mounted to the upper side thereof, said seat means including, a base member pivotally mounted to said upper side and rotatable from a first position to a second position parallel with said upper side, a seat support member having one end pivotally attached to said base member and rotatable from a collapsed position generally coplanar with said base member to an erect position substantially normal thereto, and a pair of seat flaps pivotally attached to the other end of said support member, said seat flaps being foldable from positions generally coplanar with said support member to positions normal thereto to provide a seat upon which said user may rest.
 3. A water-walking apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said base member is positioned on said one float member so that when rotated into said second position and when said support member is rotated into said erect position, said support member bears substantially equally upon both of said float members.
 4. A water-walking apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said upper side includes a recess for receiving said seat means as it is collapsed. 